Ditching and tile-laying machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

0. G. CARR.

DITGHING AND TILE LAYING MACHINE:

No. 375,602. Patented Dec. 27, 1887.

INVENTOR ama/r 0'. Gal/r71 WITNESSES uuur 2,75: 1. i 1

, .dttorney Nv PETERS Phat UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OMAR O. CARR, OF GRAND RAPIDS, OHIO.

DITCHING AND TILE-LAYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,602, dated December27, 1887.

Application filed June 10, 1887. Serial No. 240,915. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, OMAR C. CARR, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Woodand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDitching and Tile-Laying Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon,which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1is a side elevation of a ditching and tile-laying machine, showing thesame in operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isan enlarged sectional view of a portion of the cutter-wheel. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview ofa portion of the runner, showing the adjusting mechanism.

This invention is an improvement in ditching and tile-laying machines;and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and particularlyspecified in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A desi gnates the supporting andtransporting frame for the ditching mechanism proper. This frame isrectangular, and is mounted upon proper wheels at front and rear. In theinterior of frame Ais situated a narrow longitudinal frame, B, which isconnected to frame A by means of rods B B, which areloosely connected tothe front end or axle of frame Aand extend rearward to the rear end offrame B, to which they are pivotally connected, as shown,so thatframe Bcan move independently of frame A, as is obvious. The frame B carriesthe ditching and tile-laying mechanisms hereinafter described. To thefront of said frame is secured a chain or cord, I), which passes over apulley in the top of frame A, and thence down to and around a drum orsimilar device, (3, on the front axle or bar of frame A. By means ofthese devices the front ends of frame B can be raised or lowered toadapt it for transportation or for work and for varying the depth of thecut.

D designates a plow secured to a verticallyadjustable bracket or bar, d,as shown, at the front end of frame B, and by which the ground is firstbroken when the machine is in operation.

In rear of plow D, between the side rails of frame B, is thecutter-wheel E, which is constructed as follows:

e designates a fixed circular casing or disk, which may be made solid orin parts. This disk is of such diameter and is secured to frame B insuch manner that its top portion stands slightly above frame B and itsbottom lies considerably below the plow D, as shown. The periphery ofdisk e is grooved or channeled, as shown, and on the opposite inneredges of this channel are bolted the angular track-rails F F, the inneredges of which extend into and over the channel, as shown. At-

the top of disk e the tracks are depressed, forming cams ff, for apurpose hereinafter shown.

G designates an annular hollow ring or band, which is fitted upon theperiphery of disk 6, as shown, its sides or annular flanges g inc1osingbetween them the side edges of the disk near the periphery thereof. Forthe purpose of cheapness and rendering the applying and removal of ringG easy, I propose making this band in sections and bolting them togetherin position. For instance, the rim of band G and its sides or flanges 9may all be made separate, and then be bolted together upon disk e. Theannular fiangesg g are toothed internally for engagement with pinions hon a shaft, H, which is journaled in the sides of frame B, passingthrough the upper edge of disk 0 and bearing a pinion, h, on each sidethereof, and on its extended ends, outside of frame B, shaft H bears,respectively, a pulley, I and '5. By means of shaft H and its pinions hmotion is imparted to band G and the latter caused to revolve arounddisk e, as is evident.

The revoluble band G is provided at equidistant points on its peripherywith transverse slots J, which are inclined at an angle to the peripheryof the band. In each of these slots is arranged a corresponding blade,K, the head of which corresponds in width and depth to the slots J, andeach blade has a shank, Ia, which passes between the edges of thetrackrails F F, but is wider than the space between said edges, so thatin order to permit its free movement with the band G when the latter isrotated, and also to prevent its escaping from slots J, the shanks 7care formed with opposite side notches, j, which embrace the edges of therails F F and serve a further purpose, hereinafter explained.

In order to reduce friction between the blades and rails F during therotation of the band G, I provide the shanks 7c of the blades with ashort transverse shaft or lugs, L, on which are mounted, at oppositesides of the shanks, the friction wheels or rollers Z Z, which bear uponthe outer periphery of rails F F and support the blades thereon withoutfriction. It is evident that the blades may be formed separate andbolted or otherwise secured to their shanks instead of making them in asolid piece.

M designates an upstanding bracket secured to one of the side rails offrame B in front of shaft H, and which has journaled in its upper end ashort shaft, on, which bears on its outer end a pulley, N, which is runby a belt, a, from the pulley 2' on shaft H, and on its inner end is asprocket or similar wheel, 0, over which runs an endless-belt conveyer,0, which extends from a similar Wheel, 19, mounted on a bracket, P, atthe rear end of frame B, as shown.

Q designatesa conveyer-trough secured between the brackets M and P, andover the bottom of which belt 0 passes. At the rear end of this troughis arranged a directingchute, g, which is adapted to be turned eitherright or left, so as to throw the dirt escaping from trough Q eitherinto or out of the ditch or trench dug by the machine when in operation.

The front end of trough Q extends forward to the highest point of theperiphery of band G, and there its side piece, R, which stands next toband G, is bent forward and across the periphery of said band and formsa scraperblade, which serves a purpose hereinafter shown. After crossingband G, the piece It is carried. forward and downward around the band Guntil it connects with a shield, S, which is secured over thecutter-wheel just in rear of the plow D. The side 0 of trough Q is bentinward until it stands flush against the adjoining periphery of band G,and it is extended forward and downward to shield S, similar to part B.The shield S and sidesR 1* thus form a trough or guide for thecutterwheel, so that when in operation the earth and debris excavated bysaid wheel will be prevented from falling to one side, but will becarried upward until it is scraped or directed off said wheel by thepart B upon the conveyerbelt in trough Q. The part of side R crosseswheel E at a tangent, so as to more effectually cause the excavatedmaterial to fall upon the belt.

The operation of this portion of the invention, which forms the ditchingmechanism proper, is as follows, first premising that the arrangement oftracks F F and the rollers on the shanks k of the cutter-blade is suchthat,

except where said tracks are depressed, as at camsff, the blades K K areprojected or stand out from the periphery of the band G, so that whenthe latter is rotated the blades will out or excavate the earth when thecutter-blade is in working position and the machine moving forward: Theframe B is lowered, so that its cutter-wheel and plow will enter theground, and the frame A is then moved forward, carrying with it theframe 13 in the line on which the drain is to be made at the same timethat the shaft H is rotated by means of the pulley I and a belt runningtherefrom to any proper engine, which may, if desired, be mounted uponframe A, or may be belted from a portable engine in advance of andmoving the frame A, either of which may be found most desirable orconvenient. The rotation of shaft H is such that a movement is impartedto band G and its blades K contrary to the movement of the machine. Theplow D breaks a furrow in front of the cutter-wheel, regulated in depthby its adj listing-bracket, as described, and below the lower edge ofshield S, so that the latter will not be injured. The blades K K,revolving with the band G, rapidly cut away the earth and carry itupward to the scraper It; but in order to prevent damage to said scraperor blades it becomes necessary to retract them or withdraw them intoslots J. This is accomplished by means of the notches j in the shanks kof the cutters and the depressions or camsff of tracks F F, for uponreaching these cams the notches engage against the lower surfaces of thetrack-rails and forcibly draw the blades inward, and these cams arearranged in such manner and for such a distance in advance of and belowthe scraper R that the blades K are entirely retracted when they passbelow said scrapers, as is evident, and no damage is caused to theworking part of the machine, and the excavated material is cleanlybrushed off into the trough A upon the conveyer-belt 0 and carried backto the rear of the machine and deposited,

as described. After passing by the scraper R, the cams ff are diminisheduntil the tracks F F resume their original contour and the wheels Z Zcause the expulsion or projection of blades K to their normal position.Ifdesired, friction-rollers similar to Z Z may be employed for engagingthe under surface of the track instead of notches j, if desirable; butas there is no strain or force required to retract the blades thenotches j are operative and reduce the cost of the machine considerably.

I will now describe the construction of the tile-laying portion of themachine.

-T designates a hollow casing or runner of general rectangular form andcorresponding in width to wheel E, and situated in rear of the same,being provided at its front end with the cutter or scraping blade t, asshown, which has a central rounded point or scorer, which marks thebottom of the trench properly for receiving the tile-sections andpreventing them rolling sidewise. The runner T has its front ICC endhinged or detachably secured to the frame B in rear of wheel E, and itsrear end is attached to frame B by a screw-rod, V, which engages in anopening in a removable crosspiece, U,secured between brackets u on theside rails of the frame B, and by means of which rod the runner can beadjusted by the operator to keep it and the tiles, as they are laid, inproper level or alignment. In order to assist the operator in keepingthe machine level, I provide a spirit-level or similar device, t, whichis secured to one of the rails of frame B, so that any deviation of therunner and cuttingwheels from a proper plane can be compensated for byadjusting rod V, and thereby the runner.

W designates a delivery spout or trough extending from the front upperend of runner T to the rear lower end thereof, where it is connected toa hinged rear portion or foot, 10, which is adapted to lie partiallybeneath the tile last laid until the succeeding tile is in properposition for laying, thereby keeping the tiles true in relation to eachother. The weight of tiles in spout \V is usually sufficient to keep thetiles at the lower end thereof in sufficiently close relation. The tilescan be supplied to the spout by hand in the ordinary manner, and theoperator can, by pressing on the last tile put in the spout, assisttheir delivery during the operation of the machine.

X X designate wheels or rollers, upon which runner T is supported in theditch.

\Vhen not in operation, or when it is desired to transport the machineto different points, the front end of frame B is lifted by means ofchain 1), as described, and the rear end is supported upon the runner,as is evident.

It will be observed that the frame B, while drawn by the frame A, isentirely'independent of the lateral or vertical movements of the latter,so that the plane of the cut will not be affected by the irregularitiesof the ground over which frame A passes.

Ifit is only desired to cut a trench without. laying the tiles, therunner T can be detached from the frame B, and the operation of theother parts will not be affected by its removal. Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is 1. In a tile-laying and ditching machine,the combination, with the main supporting and carrying frame, of theadjustable frame secured thereto, the plow secured to the front end ofsaid frame, the cutter-wheel E, and the conveyer-belt and devices forclearing said wheel, and the runner D, itstile-delivery spout, andhinged foot thereon, all constructed and arranged substantially inthe'manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the supporting frame, of the cutter-frame E,composed of a disk, 6, having annular cam track-rails scoured thereto,the annular channeled and slotted bands G, surrounding disk e, thecutter-blades K, playing in said slots, the devices for throwing theseblades into or out of said slots, the conveyer-belt and scraper fordischarging the excavated material from the wheel, and suitableoperating mechanism for the wheel and conveyer, all constructed andarranged substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the frame B, its plow D, and fixed disk 0, ofthe annular slotted band G, surrounding disk 6, the blades K, moving inthe slots of said band and having shanks k, provided withfriction-rollers Z and notches j, with the annular track and cam railsFF, secured to diske and engaging the shanks 'of blades K, mechanism forrotating band G, and the conveyer-belt and scraper R, all constructedand adapted to operate substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the frame A and frame B, mounted therein, with theplow D and cutter-wheel E and its actuating mechanism mounted on frameB, the conveyertrough Q, and belt 0, and the pieces R and r, shield S,and directing-chute q, all substantially as specified.

5. The combination of frames A and B, the plow D, cutter E, constructedas described, and conveyer-belt, trough, and scraper R, mounted on frameB, and their actuating mechanisms, with the tile-delivery runner T, itsspout NV and hinged shoe w, and the adjusting-screw rod V for therunner, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

OMAR C. CARR. Witnesses:

GEO. LASKEY, ISAAC LUDWIG.

